VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

#GoOpenVA

Featured Resources #GoOpenVA, February 22, 2021

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logo for go open vaJean Weller, VSTE Board Member and VDOE Technology Integration Specialist, leads the #GoOpenVA initiative in Virginia. This collaborative initiative enables educators and others throughout Virginia to create, share, and access openly-licensed educational resources (OER, also known as open education resources). OER are free digital materials that can be used or modified to adjust to student needs; they are openly-licensed unhampered by many traditional copyright limitations.

The database is growing. Jean recently created a collection for resources specifically related to professional learning. Technology coaches from across the state have contributed and you can learn more here.

We asked Jean to periodically curate a few of the resources to give a sense of what is available. Start with these but stay for so much more! And be sure to follow Jean on Twitter.

This week, VSTE Board member Heather Hurley shares some of her favorite resources.

Heather says, "I wanted to share some resources to help teachers who are in a hybrid model or are about to begin Hybrid/Concurrent. Below are three resources to help teachers plan for virtual, concurrent or hybrid and the fourth resource is a lesson on conducting a research project virtually."

Teaching Digitally- A FREE Resource Guide for ANY K-12 teacher

Teacher Nadine Gilkison is a District Level Tech Integrator in Illinois and has put together a Google resource full of tips and links to tools for those trying to get a good handle on online/blended learning. It goes beyond just using the tools and considers pedagogical implications and challenges as well.

Planning for Success (Expectations part 1) and Planning for Success (Expectations Part 2)

Donovan O'Brien of Culpeper, VA provides these video recordings of a presentation on Blended and Remote Learning Models, which covers expectations. He offers very practical ideas that can be implemented easily.

Distance Learning & Personal Research Projects

Check out how a Science 6 CLT from Arlington, VA partnered with the school librarian, resource teacher for the gifted (RTG), SPED teacher, and English Learner (EL) teachers to engage and support all students in a personal research project...remotely!  They are sharing their project resources, experiences, and how this project personalizes distance learning.

Featured Resources from #GoOpenVA, February 8, 2021

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logo for go open vaJean Weller, VSTE Board Member and VDOE Technology Integration Specialist, leads the #GoOpenVA initiative in Virginia. This collaborative initiative enables educators and others throughout Virginia to create, share, and access openly-licensed educational resources (OER, also known as open education resources). OER are free digital materials that can be used or modified to adjust to student needs; they are openly-licensed unhampered by many traditional copyright limitations.

The database is growing. Jean recently created a collection for resources specifically related to professional learning. Technology coaches from across the state have contributed and you can learn more here.

We asked Jean and other VSTE leaders to periodically curate a few of the resources to give a sense of what is available. Start with these but stay for so much more! And be sure to follow Jean on Twitter.

The following resources are recommended by Tim Taylor, the Instructional Technology Supervisor for Shenandoah County Public Schools. They will help your students better understand the issues involved with the founding of the United States.

The Constitutional Convention: What the Founding Fathers Said lesson plan is very appropriate for our current political climate. Students learn how the Founding Fathers debated and resolved their differences during the Constitutional Convention. Learn how they created "a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise." A lesson we all can learn from!

Emanuel Leutze's Symbolic Scene of Washington Crossing the Delaware is a resource that makes students question and look through a critical lens when viewing historical art.  This iconic artwork is what the majority people envision when thinking of Washington crossing the Delaware.  Did it really look like this?  How does art such as Leutze's work here influence our perception of history?

The Federalist Defense of Diversity and "Extending the Sphere is a lesson plan for secondary students that allows them to analyze Hamilton's and Madison's arguments in favor of an extended republic in specific numbers of the Federalist Papers. (I finally watched Hamilton over the holidays and the relationship between these two founding fathers was very complex.)  This lesson will open the eyes of students to see just how challenging and difficult it is to establish a government that is inclusive and providing liberties for all citizens.

RISE OER Unconference for #DLDAY2021

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Logo for conferenceAre you feeling isolated and alone about your teaching experiences in your digital classroom? Join us for a FREE virtual collaboration event to learn together and RISE above the challenges of teaching in (and after) a pandemic.

RISE Online OER UnConference
February 25, 2021
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm (EST)

Be a part of an exciting collaborative UnConference led by North Carolina and Virginia to celebrate the 10th annual 2021 Digital Learning Day. Both states have sites for openly-licensed digital resources (OER), where teachers can connect, grow and share.

We are inviting educators from all grade levels,content areas, and educational roles, giving you a chance to connect with colleagues who have similar concerns and interests.

The theme of our UnConference is “Rise”, one of the monthly themes from Digital Learning Day. The afternoon will focus on sharing which materials, strategies and tools helped you, your fellow educators, and your students “Rise” in 2020.

Come to give and come to get as we celebrate how Digital Learning and sharing openly licensed resources can truly help educators not only reinvent, but rather rise above challenges.

Register HERE for free by 5:00 pm EST on February 24th!

Pre-work

We’re so glad to have you register for the NC/VA UnConference on February 25th - the 10th annual Digital Learning Day. This UnConference will include discussion about OER - openly licensed resources. Please watch this video on “What is OER?” and then comment on this Padlet about “Which R most relates to how you use digital learning resources?”. Then watch either the GoOpenNC video if you’re from NC or the GoOpenVA video if you’re from VA.

RISE OER UnConference Google Site

Featured Resources from #GoOpenVA, February 1, 2021

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logo for go open vaJean Weller, VSTE Board Member and VDOE Technology Integration Specialist, leads the #GoOpenVA initiative in Virginia. This collaborative initiative enables educators and others throughout Virginia to create, share, and access openly-licensed educational resources (OER, also known as open education resources). OER are free digital materials that can be used or modified to adjust to student needs; they are openly-licensed unhampered by many traditional copyright limitations.

The database is growing. Jean recently created a collection for resources specifically related to professional learning. Technology coaches from across the state have contributed and you can learn more here.

We asked Jean to periodically curate a few of the resources to give a sense of what is available. Start with these but stay for so much more! And be sure to follow Jean on Twitter.

It seems as though the  snow has finally arrived this winter and schools may declare a few snow days that would force your students out for several days.  After a couple of snow days, everyone gets a little bored.  Here are some activities students can do on their own or online with other students.

Code a Snowflake encourages students to be creative with Scratch programming, while learning about angles and symmetry.  Bea Leiderman created a colorful document you can email directly to your students.

We’ve loaded lots of resources from Illustrative Mathematics onto #GoOpenVA.  A Ton of Snow is an investigation students can do on their own at home (though they can share their thinking with a small group online).  The problem is loosely structured in order to provide students practice with true modeling situations, making them think and make decisions.

Explore and Create Your Own Expressive Pattern is a lesson idea provided by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA).  Use this as a launching point to get students to think about and create patterns based on the winter season. Students can make art using just what they have available, even pen and paper.

Featured #GoOpenVA Resources, January 26, 2021

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logo for go open vaJean Weller, VSTE Board Member and VDOE Technology Integration Specialist, leads the #GoOpenVA initiative in Virginia. This collaborative initiative enables educators and others throughout Virginia to create, share, and access openly-licensed educational resources (OER, also known as open education resources). OER are free digital materials that can be used or modified to adjust to student needs; they are openly-licensed unhampered by many traditional copyright limitations.

The database is growing. Jean recently created a collection for resources specifically related to professional learning. Technology coaches from across the state have contributed and you can learn more here.

We asked Jean to periodically curate a few of the resources to give a sense of what is available. Start with these but stay for so much more! And be sure to follow Jean on Twitter.

Remixes, or adaptations of lesson plans, are one of the great strengths of OER.  Below are two remixes of plans from outside Virginia, but customized to our SOL by our own Virginia teachers. Then there is the learning object that is user-ready but which you can remix to make your own!

Viaduct on the Baltimore and Washington Railroad Lesson Plan, from Janet Page of Nelson, is a remix of an OER lesson plan which is not on #GoOpenVA currently. Her remix is excellent and includes all the information you need to implement a lesson in reading…using art!

Shopping Spree – Remix is an adaptation of an older lesson from our neighbors in North Carolina.  The lesson asks students to apply math to an everyday situation.  Laura Brown of Loudoun updated the lesson to use digital resources rather than print, and to adjust the activity for older students.

Parts of a Computer, developed by Dana Smith of Tazewell, is exactly what teachers need! Everyone will be working to address the new Computer Science standards and it’s nice to know you don’t have to create ALL of your own materials.  Dana put together a nice short presentation on the parts of a computer, along with clear illustrations.  Use it as is, or adapt it for your own students.